Patent · US Expired

Interior alignment light for open magnet MRI

US6294915A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
4References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 23, 1999
Grant dateSep 25, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 23, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/3806
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A patient alignment device is disclosed for use in open magnet MRI having a movable patient table to move a patient within the open magnet MRI in order to position a desired patient scan area accurately within the field-of-view (FOV) of the open magnet MRI. A first alignment light is placed on the outer periphery of the upper magnetic structure of the open MRI to emit a light beam in longitudinal alignment with a center point of the FOV. A second alignment light is positioned to emit a second light beam downwardly from the upper magnetic structure to indicate an interior reference point of the FOV. The second alignment light is then used to reposition a patient within the open magnet MRI without having to withdraw the patient from the open magnet MRI.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.